Courtesy of NEXZ's instagram
JYP Entertainment launched its first Japanese boy group, Nexz, on Monday, marking the agency's first boy group debut in six years.
Nexz comprises six Japanese nationals and one South Korean national, all of whom were born and raised in Japan. The members were selected through the “Nizi Project Season 2” audition program, which aired on YouTube and Hulu Japan last year. This program is part of JYP Entertainment’s “Globalization by Localization” strategy, which aims to localize K-pop in various countries, including Japan.
During a press conference in Seoul on Monday, Nexz's leader, Tomoya, explained the group's name: “Our group name is an abbreviation of two words: ‘next’ and ‘generation.’ We hope to draw our future together with the new generation.” The members of Nexz are Tomoya, Yu, Haru, So Geon, Seita, Hyui, and Yuki.
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| ▲ Courtesy of NEXZ's instagram |
Despite the group's predominantly Japanese composition, the press conference was conducted entirely in Korean. “We really studied hard the Korean language for today, to communicate with reporters and fans in Korean on the day of our debut,” Tomoya said in fluent Korean.
Nexz debuted with the single album “Ride the Vibe,” featuring the title track of the same name. The song experiments with various electronic sounds and expresses the range of emotions the group experienced as they embarked on their journey as K-pop idols. “This song made us dance to the rhythm the first time we listened to it," said Yuki.
The single album also includes the b-side track “Starlight,” an R&B number that features the pizzicato sounds of a contrabass. In “Starlight,” Nexz compares their passion to a starry night.
The group acknowledged the pressure of following in the footsteps of popular JYP boy group Stray Kids but expressed their commitment to meeting high expectations. “It would be a lie if we said that we weren’t burdened by the fact that we are the first boy group to debut after the popular K-pop boy group Stray Kids under JYP Entertainment. But we will take it as our responsibility to live up to the high standards that they've set,” said Yu.
Nexz members emphasized their eagerness to perform live and make a name for themselves globally. “We love to challenge ourselves to try something new. Each presents different charms and vocal characteristics when performing live. We would love to take the stage in front of people in different places around the world to make a name for ourselves,” said Hyui.
Sayart
Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com
Seven-Member Group Introduced as Part of “Globalization by Localization” Initiative
Courtesy of NEXZ's instagram
JYP Entertainment launched its first Japanese boy group, Nexz, on Monday, marking the agency's first boy group debut in six years.
Nexz comprises six Japanese nationals and one South Korean national, all of whom were born and raised in Japan. The members were selected through the “Nizi Project Season 2” audition program, which aired on YouTube and Hulu Japan last year. This program is part of JYP Entertainment’s “Globalization by Localization” strategy, which aims to localize K-pop in various countries, including Japan.
During a press conference in Seoul on Monday, Nexz's leader, Tomoya, explained the group's name: “Our group name is an abbreviation of two words: ‘next’ and ‘generation.’ We hope to draw our future together with the new generation.” The members of Nexz are Tomoya, Yu, Haru, So Geon, Seita, Hyui, and Yuki.
|
| ▲ Courtesy of NEXZ's instagram |
Despite the group's predominantly Japanese composition, the press conference was conducted entirely in Korean. “We really studied hard the Korean language for today, to communicate with reporters and fans in Korean on the day of our debut,” Tomoya said in fluent Korean.
Nexz debuted with the single album “Ride the Vibe,” featuring the title track of the same name. The song experiments with various electronic sounds and expresses the range of emotions the group experienced as they embarked on their journey as K-pop idols. “This song made us dance to the rhythm the first time we listened to it," said Yuki.
The single album also includes the b-side track “Starlight,” an R&B number that features the pizzicato sounds of a contrabass. In “Starlight,” Nexz compares their passion to a starry night.
The group acknowledged the pressure of following in the footsteps of popular JYP boy group Stray Kids but expressed their commitment to meeting high expectations. “It would be a lie if we said that we weren’t burdened by the fact that we are the first boy group to debut after the popular K-pop boy group Stray Kids under JYP Entertainment. But we will take it as our responsibility to live up to the high standards that they've set,” said Yu.
Nexz members emphasized their eagerness to perform live and make a name for themselves globally. “We love to challenge ourselves to try something new. Each presents different charms and vocal characteristics when performing live. We would love to take the stage in front of people in different places around the world to make a name for ourselves,” said Hyui.
Sayart
Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com
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